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SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Athletics Gaels
Anders Engebretsen
0
UC Irvine UCI (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Winner Saint Mary's (CA) SMC (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
UC Irvine UCI
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
0
Final
2
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Irvine UCI 0 0 0
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC 2 0 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

MSOC | No. 11 Gaels Win Season-Opener Against No. 25 UC Irvine

Saint Mary's extended their unbeaten streak to 25 matches win a season-opener win against the Anteaters.

MORAGA, Calif. –  The No. 11 Gaels earned a 2-0 win over No. 25 UC Irvine in their season opener in which senior Anders Engebretsen recorded both goals for SMC.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Engebretsen owned the first half of action on Friday as he scored both goals within minutes of each other. His first score of the day came in the 34th minute after a penalty kick was issued following a foul on senior Jake Rudel. Engebretsen kept the shot low and connected with the back left corner of the net to break the scoreless tie. 

The Gaels' second goal of the day came roughly seven minutes later when Engebretsen sent a rebound back into the right corner of the net past the diving UCI goalie. The Saint Mary's defense continued to shut down the Anteaters and the first half outshooting UC Irvine eight to two.

The second half of play was heavily defensive as UC Irvine posted six shots, but Saint Mary's was able to shut down their offensive push. Senior Remi Prieur collected four saves on the day including a diving stop in the 64th minute to keep the 2-0 lead over the Anteaters. The Gaels outshot UCI 15-8 in the match and maintained their physical brand of play as they held a 26-13 edge in fouls.

Saint Mary's had two close scoring chances in the beginning of the game from transfer junior Younes Dayekh and freshman Boyd Curry. Dayekh sent a shot towards the goal following an pass from Jakub Svehlik but a tip from the UCI keeper sent the ball high over the goal. Six minutes later, Curry sent a rocket towards the goal that was deflected off the crossbar.
 

THOUGHTS FROM ADAM COOPER
  • "Today was a good start to our season. Anytime you can win 2-0 against a great opponent, it's a nice way to begin."
  • "We had some good performances today, accomplished a few goals we set, and identified areas we need to improve. In the end though, we played with great spirit and got the result. Now we get focused and ready for the next one."
UP NEXT: OMAHA
  • The Gaels will have the weekend off before returning to Saint Mary's Stadium for a Labor Day matchup against the Omaha Mavericks on Monday at 12:00 p.m. Further information for the match can be found on the Gaels' schedule page.
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